A Story About the Fair in Tuam

Kilkerrin, Co. Galway

One time there was a pig fair in Tuam and a neighbour of hers took a cart of pigs to the fair. When he was about three miles from home the pigs became very troublesome and tore the cover which was over them. The man was obliged to go into a house, in the village of Cloonkeen, in the parish of Kilkerrin, and get a big needle and thread from the woman of the house. Having sewed the cover the man proceeded on his journey to the fair. He sold the pigs and was home from the fair early in the evening. After his return he went on a visit to Curley’s house. Kitty addressed him saying – “you sold the pigs”. The man said he did. She then said – “They caused you great trouble and why didn’t you return the needle which the woman gave you to sew the cover?” The man then discovered he had the needle stuck in his coat. This was one of the many strange things which she knew and of which she spoke about.  Her brother, Séamus, was a cobbler and whenever anyone would bring him a pair of shoes to repair he would tell that person to go out in the garden to hunt away the hens from the stack of oats. When the person would return to the house he would have the shoes repaired. A few days after the twenty years had elapsed, one of the priests who resided in Kilkerrin entered her home. He said to her as he looked into her in the bed – “you are now long enough there. In the name of God, get up.” The next day the woman got out of her bed for the first time during twenty years. She seemed to be in good health and nothing strange about her except that she had the power of knowing people without ever being informed who they were

Collector: Angela Mannion Lissacarha, Co. Galway

Informant: Mrs Mannion, Lissacarha, Co. Galway

Place: Kilkerrin, Co. Galway

Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie

 

This page was added on 13/05/2017.

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